In a year marked by physical distance, social networks have gained an even greater dimension in the ways of relating to people and getting informed. Our channel on Instagram has surpassed its number of reach and brought to the public the best of what we publish on our page: projects, articles, interviews, and news from the world of architecture, inspiring new ideas and tools for a better future to our cities.
CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati and a team led by Australian real estate group Lendlease have imagined the new science campus of the University of Milan. The proposed project, a winning entry from the international competition will extend over 190,000 square meters and is due to open in 2025.
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The iconic design conference and event Design Indaba has announced it will use 2021 as a year to plan and execute multiple Do Tank projects. In turn, they will be launching the Design Indaba Inside offering. The Design Indaba Conference and Festival will not take place in February 2021; instead, organizers will take the time to plan for 2022. Social distancing requirements combined with the physical limitations of Artscape Theatre Centre in Cape Town made the event unfeasible.
Zaha Hadid Architects has designed the future of Huanggang Port Area, creating a hub of scientific research and collaboration in industries in Shenzhen, China. The new proposed master plan puts in place “an important node of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen Science and Technology Corridor”, through the reconstruction of the port building as well as the transformation of its empty lots into the national center for technology innovation.
The new Yabuli Entrepreneurs’ Congress Center by MAD Architects is nearing completion in Northeastern China. Surrounded by snow-covered mountains, the project was commissioned by the Yabuli China Entrepreneurs Forum (Yabuli CEF). The team designed the center to become an iconic landmark embodying the Congress members' entrepreneurial spirit in the shape of a tent sitting at the foot of a mountain.
Architecture and design practice Mecanoo has created a new vision for an iconic Maritime Center along the Rijnhaven in Rotterdam. Located in the middle of the water, the project includes an undulating, organic building form made to contrast with the industrial nature of the surrounding port. Partly underwater, the design features a triple helix and is made as a place for maritime entrepreneurs, science and culture.
When architects Guylee Simmonds and David Schnabel bought a Scottish survival lifeboat for a voyage to the Arctic, they dreamed of setting sail to Norway and beyond. Called Stødig, the 100-man vessel was purchased in 2018 and converted over a one-year period. Capturing their inspiring journey, filmmaker Jonny Campbell created a feature film that explores the expedition and what it means to discover adventure in the everyday.
Stefano Boeri, together with a team of consultants, has created the architectural and communicative concept behind the anti-Covid-19 vaccination campaign. Under the slogan "With a flower, Italy comes back to life", the approved proposal, requested by the Italian Special Commissioner for the Covid-19 emergency Domenico Arcuri, includes the campaign logo, the temporary pavilions, and mobile information totem in public spaces.
The Children’s Museum of Manhattan has announced that it will renovate an abandoned church off of Central Park in New York City. Designed by architecture firm FXCollaborative and design studio Local Projects, the new museum building enables CMOM to meet increased demand for its program and resources, and marks CMOM’s first expansion in over 40 years. The project aims to engage and inspire New York City’s youngest citizens.
The Harvard Graduate School of Design (Harvard GSD) will no longer refer to a private residence at 9 Ash Street in Cambridge as the “Philip Johnson Thesis House.” Moving forward, the home, designed by and inhabited by Johnson while enrolled at the Harvard GSD in the 1940s, will now be known solely by its physical street address.
The Chicago-based Graham Foundation has just announced its support to 36 international organizations “leading projects that respond to today’s challenges, foster new connections across disciplines, and expand the field of architecture”. Based everywhere in the world, these associations push forward the work of eminent and emerging architects, artists, designers, critics, curators, scholars, and others, to explore new possibilities for the field and engage practitioners and the public worldwide.
ODA has shared a design concept for the Academy of the Hebrew Language headquarters in Israel. Made to be an orientation point for the cultural district, the new building was located between the Israel Museum, the Israeli Supreme Court, the future site of the National Library, the Knesset, and the Hebrew University. The design aims to offers a fluidity of perspectives and connections between the Academy and its surroundings.
Design and the City a podcast by reSITE, on how to make cities more livable and lovable, raising questions and proposing solutions for the city of the future, kicks off its second season, with Winy Maas. In this first episode, the co-founder of MVRDV and The Why Factory discusses ideas that are seemingly larger than life, pushing the boundaries of our urban potential.
The Pennsylvania chapter of the American Institute of Architects has announced the recipients of the 2020 Architectural Excellence Awards. The November broadcast debuted honors in five programs including the Design Awards, inaugural Committee on the Environment (COTE) Awards, Special Awards, and Student Awards. More than 80 awards and recognitions were presented to firms and individuals across Pennsylvania for excellence in design, contributions to the profession of architecture, and commitment to the quality of the built environment.
For the past few weeks, there has been concern that the Ginásio do Ibirapuera, an indoor sporting arena located in São Paulo, Brazil, designed by architect Ícaro de Castro Mello, may be converted into a shopping, entertainment, and gastronomic center. This could be the fate of the building, which is of notorious historical significance if the private sector sets in motion the financial modeling report for the Ibirapuera Park concession, articulated by the São Paulo State Government.
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The Alvar Aalto Museum is showcasing one last exhibition before it undergoes a complete renovation, highlighting the architect’s unbuilt museum designs. While Aalto designed a total of 15 museum buildings, only three made it from concepts to the actual built structures. The exhibition entitled “The Dream of a Museum” includes both detailed and more sketch-like plans, along with competition entries.
Architect and activist Edward Mazria, FAIA has been honored with the 2021 Gold Medal from the American Institute of Architects. The Gold Medal honors an individual whose significant body of work has had a lasting influence on the theory and practice of architecture. As the jury notes, Mazria is being recognized for his work to combat the climate crisis and motivate the profession to take action.
Autodesk has just acquired Spacemaker, a platform that “gives architects and developers the automation superpower to test design concepts in minutes” and explore the best urban design options. Targeting architects, urban designers, and real estate developers, the cloud-based AI-powered generative design helps professionals taking better early-stage design decisions.
Architecture and design practice Morphosis has broken ground on the new Judy Genshaft Honors College at the University of South Florida (USF). The five-story, 85,000-square-foot building is the latest in the firm's portfolio of educational facilities, a project that marks the university’s ongoing expansion and growth. Located on USF’s campus in Tampa, the honors college was designed to encourage interdisciplinary exchange while providing flexible spaces to learn.
Architectural References Online is a web-based archive for three-dimensional, navigable model photos of select projects in architectural history. Initiated by Marc Frohn as the head of the chair Raum + Entwerfen and developed together with Tim Panzer, the models and drawings were produced by students at the Architecture School of Karlsruher Institut für Technologie.
A new masterplan and building scheme has been designed for the Codrico Factory and Rijnhaven in Rotterdam. With the overall plan created by Powerhouse Company in collaboration with developer RED Company, the proposal includes a series of buildings by Mecanoo, SHoP Architects, Office Winhov and Crimson Architectural Historians. Called the "Codrico Terrain", the project aims to celebrate local industrial heritage and embrace change for the future.
_julkisivupiirustus._Alvar_Aalto_Museum_(1971-73)__facade._Original_drawing_Alvar_Aalto_Foundation..jpg?1604924810 "Alvar Aalto Museum (1971-73), facade. Original drawing . Image Courtesy of Alvar Aalto Foundation")
__pohjapiirustus__julkisivu_ja_poikkileikkaus._Perni%C3%B6_Museum_(1928-29)__Finland._Original_Drawing_Alvar_Aalto_Foundation..jpg?1604926408 "Perniö Museum (1928-29), Finland. Original Drawing . Image Courtesy of Alvar Aalto Foundation")
__Viro._Sis%C3%A4perspektiivi._Tallinn_Art_Museum_(193-37)__Estonia._Interior_perspective._Original_drawing_Alvar_Aalto_Foundation..jpg?1604926715 "Tallinn Art Museum (193-37), Estonia. Interior perspective. Original drawing . Image Courtesy of Alvar Aalto Foundation")
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